How Hiring Works

Let's assume you are a new business owner with no employees, but are tired of never having any free time. (After all, isn't that one of the reasons why you went into business for yourself?) So what do you do first? Are you sure you really need someone? Are you sure you are performing the duties you would like to hire someone else to do as efficiently as you could be? Perhaps all you need is some computer training to help automate some things that will cut some of your hours. Take some time to fully assess your needs. Here is a list of things to consider before placing that first Help Wanted ad.

Make a list of every duty that you feel someone else could do.

Estimate the time spent doing those duties. Could you hire a part-time employee?

Analyze all of the costs. Can you afford to pay someone? Remember you'll not only have the salary to pay, you'll also have benefits and tax issues to deal with.

Do you need a permanent employee or could you hire temporary help?

Do you have working space for an employee?

Could the type of work be desirable for a student internship? Contact local community colleges or universities and ask about their internship programs.

Can you hire an independent contractor to do the work on project basis or for set number of hours? This frees you from payroll taxes, but still gives you the flexibility of an on-site worker. Be careful that you don't misclassify a worker as an independent contractor. This can be costly. Check the IRS guidelines to help in determining the employee vs. independent contractor designation.

Finally, don't forget to account for your time spent recruiting, interviewing, training, and supervising an employee. Make sure you really will have some spare time left over!